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Thread: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

  1. #1
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I've been a vegetarian for years, and now I'm transitioning into veganism.

    I like most popular vegan foods, but the only problem is, I really really don't like nuts, any nuts at all, and they seem to feature in a lot of recipes. Of course I can simply leave the nuts out of most things, but I'm not sure if that's okay to keep doing.

    I've heard that nuts are a good source of protein, but is there anything else I might be missing out on? Is it possible / how easy is it, to be a healthy vegan without nuts?

    Are there many long-term experienced vegans that don't eat any nuts either?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    rakin' muck
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I think you could do it. There's plenty of ways to craft a vegan eating plan. But really? You don't like cashews? Almonds? Brazil nuts? Pistachios?!

    My boyfriend and I don't bake, we don't eat any soy, corn, gluten, or any processed/packaged food besides the occasional dark chocolate. We don't really use recipes--unless you consider something like "Slice a potato into a frying pan full of water, cover, and turn up heat" a recipe. And we get by just fine, though we also don't do much cardio, so that might contribute to our ability to eat like rabbits without feeling starved.

    Anyway, we each eat a handful or two of nuts a day, but I can think of many ways a person could get around that. Eat your gluten-free grains, beans, lentils... My favorite thing to do is throw a bunch of rice or millet (my favorite grains right now) into my rice cooker with a bunch of lentils and a few spices, maybe some garlic and onions, throw in the water, wait an hour or so, and I've got a huge, hearty mixture that can be easily taken on-the-go in a Thermos. Plus it saves me a lot of cooking time.

    Do you like seeds? Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds... Personally, I don't like eating them alone, but I love them as a salad topper (especially with slices of avocado, yum!). Come to think of it, you might find nuts more palatable crushed on top of a salad (though if you really don't like them, by all means, stay away--your body's probably trying to tell you something).

  3. #3
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I might be wrong but I don't think there's anything in nuts that you can't get from other foods - beans and seeds might be the closest in nutritional terms.

    Like vegmonkey I am a bit sceptical that you don't like any nuts, in any form - perhaps you could trick yourself into eating them if you want by grinding them up and putting them in something
    Last edited by harpy; Jan 25th, 2013 at 10:40 PM.

  4. #4
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    Thanks guys!

    Haha, I don't get how you can like nuts! I suppose it's actually more the texture of nuts I can't stand (feels like I'm trying to eat a piece of wood!) so maybe you're onto something there about grinding them up and "hiding" them.

    I do enjoy eating beans and seeds though, I guess I'll just make sure I'm getting plenty of those...


    Anyway, thanks for the tips, both of you

  5. #5
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I often put ground-up walnuts in bread and the result doesn't really have a nutty texture, just a vague walnutty taste, so maybe you could try something like that. Or you could make pesto, which can be made with all sorts of nuts and vegetable matter, not necessarily the traditional pinenuts and basil.

  6. #6
    Abe Froman Risker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I was trying to work out how often I eat nuts and really I think I only have them a couple of times a year, one of those times being in a christmas nut roast. I really do like nuts btw, I just don't find that they're in all that much, maybe I'm forgetting something...
    "I don't want to live on this planet any more" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    I try to eat a few walnuts every day to get omega-3 oil, other than that, I guess you could do without nuts.
    They mainly contain fat, not so much protein.

    Best regards,
    Andy

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    Actually, some vegan doctors / dieticians recommend avoiding nuts because of their high fat content. People like Caldwell Esselstyn, Rip Esselstyn, John A. McDougall, and T. Colin Campbell all recommend a low-fat vegan diet for health reasons. For them, nuts are the occasional treat, not a daily dietary staple. If you Google any of their names with the word "nuts" or maybe "fats," you can find a fuller explanation.

    We don't need nuts to get protein. As long as you are meeting your daily caloric requirements, you are likely to get the amount of protein you need. However, what you need to watch out for is whether or not you are getting all the right amino acids for your body to build "complete" proteins. This is why vegans should eat foods that are high in lysine on a daily basis (e.g. - soy, legumes, etc.). Check out this site for more details: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

  9. #9
    100% sure – I'm going vegan!
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    Default Re: Healthy vegan diet with no nuts?

    Thanks for that, interesting article, also it's quite reassuring, I'll definitely make sure I'm getting plenty of legumes and soy stuff then

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